VulnerabilityPublished 3 Mar 2026Updated 4 Mar 2026

CVE-2025-13490: IBM App Connect Operator · Cleartext Transmission

Affects IBM App Connect OperatorSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.9 Medium.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 06:59 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.9Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 3 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
IBMApp Connect Operator	Affected ≥ CD:11.3.0, ≤ 11.6.0, 12.1.0 - 12.20.112.0 LTS:12.0.0 - 12.0.20	Fixed in–
IBMApp Connect EnterpriseCertified Containers Operands	Affected ≥ CD:12.0.11.2, ≤ r1 - 12.0.12.5-r1, 13.0.1.0-r1 - 13.0.6.1-r112.0 LTS:12.0.12-r1 - 12.0.12-r20	Fixed in–

CPE configurations (4)

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:app_connect_operator:cd:11.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:app_connect_operator:11.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:app_connect_enterprisecertified_containers_operands:cd:12.0.11.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:app_connect_enterprisecertified_containers_operands:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2025-13490 effectively, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Enforce the use of encrypted communication channels such as TLS for all IBM App Connect Operator and Enterprise Certified Container network traffic, ensuring that no data is transmitted in clear text. 2) Review and harden network segmentation to restrict access to IBM App Connect components, minimizing exposure to potential MITM attackers. 3) Deploy network intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor for suspicious MITM activities or anomalous traffic patterns targeting IBM App Connect services. 4) Apply strict access controls and network policies to limit the ability of unauthorized devices to intercept or redirect traffic. 5) Regularly audit and update IBM App Connect deployments to the latest versions once patches addressing this vulnerability become available. 6) Use VPNs or secure tunnels for remote or inter-data center communications involving IBM App Connect to add an additional encryption layer. 7) Educate network and security teams about the risks of clear text transmission and the importance of secure configurations. 8) Monitor IBM security advisories closely for official patches or configuration guidance related to this CVE. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on securing the specific communication vectors exploited by this vulnerability and reducing the attack surface.

Description

IBM App Connect Operator versions CD 11.3.0 through 11.6.0 and 12.1.0 through 12.20.0, LTS versions 12.0.0 through 12.0.20, and IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Containers Operands versions CD 12.0.11.2‑r1 through 12.0.12.5‑r1 and 13.0.1.0‑r1 through 13.0.6.1‑r1, and LTS versions 12.0.12‑r1 through 12.0.12‑r20, contain a vulnerability in which the IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Container transmits data in clear text, potentially allowing an attacker to intercept and obtain sensitive information through man‑in‑the‑middle techniques.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2025-13490 is the compromise of confidentiality due to the exposure of sensitive data transmitted in clear text. Organizations relying on IBM App Connect Operator and Enterprise Certified Containers for integration and data flow may inadvertently expose critical business or personal information if network communications are intercepted. This can lead to data breaches, regulatory non-compliance, and loss of customer trust. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or system availability, the leakage of sensitive information can have severe consequences, including intellectual property theft, exposure of credentials or configuration details, and facilitation of further attacks. The requirement for a man-in-the-middle position limits the ease of exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with insufficient network segmentation or lacking encryption protocols such as TLS. Enterprises with hybrid cloud deployments, multi-tenant environments, or those operating in hostile network conditions are particularly vulnerable. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but underscores the need for proactive mitigation.

CWE-319Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A04:2025: Cryptographic Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors.
Architecture and Design
Before transmitting, encrypt the data using reliable, confidentiality-protecting cryptographic protocols.
Implementation
When using web applications with SSL, use SSL for the entire session from login to logout, not just for the initial login page.
Implementation
When designing hardware platforms, ensure that approved encryption algorithms (such as those recommended by NIST) protect paths from security critical data to trusted user applications.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Transport Layer Protection (opens in a new tab)
TLS Cipher String (opens in a new tab)
User Privacy Protection (opens in a new tab)
Password Storage (opens in a new tab)
Cryptographic Storage (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V9.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
V1.9.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Session Sidejacking (opens in a new tab)
Harvesting Information via API Event Monitoring (opens in a new tab)
Signature Spoofing by Mixing Signed and Unsigned Content (opens in a new tab)
Sniff Application Code (opens in a new tab)
Interception (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

ibm.com/support/pages/node/7262271 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

CPE configurations (4)

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 11 Mar 2026, 20:11 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-319

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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